


Save Your Scissors

by americanchemicals



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alpha Jonathan Byers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Billy Hargrove Being an Asshole, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Steve Harrington, Scenting, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-11 02:46:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12925662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanchemicals/pseuds/americanchemicals
Summary: just a friendly reminder that only Steve and Jonathan's family members know that they're mated, no one elsealso, Steve is pregnant, if you didn't catch on to that (which is fine, cause he doesn't know yet either)ALSO, trigger warning for this chapter (there are warnings on this fic for a reason)





	1. Creep

No one had ever cared that Steve Harrington was an omega. Hell, most people forgot he was an omega, even when he occasionally missed school because of his heat. He was just Steve. The guy with the good hair that was pretty athletic, a guy that girls sought after no matter what their secondary gender was. Sometimes, even Steve forgot what he was, and when he would look at his calendar every three months he was almost surprised, as if he forgot that heats were a thing he went through. Everyone in society, for the most part, had gotten to the point where alphas and betas and omegas were human beings, and their secondary gender wasn't something that defined them. 

So when Billy came into town, and started harassing Steve about 'being an omega whore,' well, that was not something that sat well with people. It made everyone uncomfortable when these comments were made, and it definitely made Steve's blood boil. He had never done anything to provoke this guy, so why was he targeting him? Sure, Steve was a bit popular, but he was never mean to people. And he absolutely was not a whore. Not that there was anything wrong with people that had multiple partners, it just wasn't Steve's cup of tea. 

There were some rumors around school, of course, that would occasionally resurface. That Steve had slept with some random omega girl he had said 'hi' to once in the hallway, or that Nancy and him spent his last heat together. Nancy was a beta, so there was no way she would have been able to help during a heat, but it was better than the whole school going around and talking about how much of a virgin he was. 

Not that there's anything wrong with being a virgin, either. Steve was perfectly happy never having experienced what it was like to share his bed with another. 

-

Steve Harrington hated Billy Hargrove with a burning passion. The jerk had been releasing the strongest alpha pheromones all day, and it was beyond irritating. His heat was next week, so he was extra sensitive to the foul smell, and it was giving him a massive headache. To him, it was a mixture of rotting eggs and spoiled milk, and he was pretty sure he was either going to vomit all over the place or pass the fuck out. He kept sending dirty looks to the alpha in hopes that the dude would chill, but all Billy did in response was smirk. Steve groaned, burying his face in his arms, wishing more than anything that he could just go home and take a really long nap. 

Gym class was even worse, with Billy's sweat intensifying the smell. Steve could barely concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing, and he kept stumbling, his vision full of black spots. He excused himself, running outside, desperate for fresh air. He collapsed against a brick wall, throwing up like earlier expected, closing his eyes tightly as he curled into himself. When he heard footsteps, he was ready for a fight, thinking Billy had followed him. But opening his eyes and looking up, the last person he expected was Jonathan Byers. The two weren't exactly friends, their only connection being their mutual friend Nancy. Billy's stench was still strong in Steve's nose, and he closed his eyes again, trusting Jonathan to not pull anything on him. 

"Are you okay?" Jonathan asked nervously, kneeling down next to Steve, "everyone can smell what Billy's doing, and it's really messed up. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You're not the one giving me the worst headache of my entire existence," Steve groaned, the nauseous feeling rising up again.

All the sudden, a light breeze picked up, and blew one of the best smells Steve had ever smelled straight at him. His eyes shot open, looking around for the source, before landing on Jonathan's concerned face.

"Is that you?" He asked, but it came out more aggressive than he intended. 

"Sorry, do I smell bad too? I can leave," Jonathan apologized again before moving to stand, but Steve lunged and grabbed at the collar of his shirt.

"Please, don't leave. You... You smell good, okay? And right now I can't get this stink out of my head, so could I..." Steve let go of Jonathan's collar, putting some distance between the two as he tried to figure out how to phrase his next question.

"Do you want to scent me?" Jonathan beat him to it, raising an eyebrow at the omega.

"If you wouldn't mind," Steve mumbled, looking at the ground, his vision spinning.

"You're not afraid of smelling like me? I kind of have this reputation for being a weirdo-" Jonathan started to explain, getting distracted from the topic at hand.

"Jesus, just come here," Steve demanded, grabbing his collar again and dragging him down onto the ground with him. He honestly couldn't care less about Jonathan Byers being on top of him right now, because the alpha smelled amazing, and it was lessening the pain in his head. Steve buried his nose in the crook of Jonathan's neck, pulling the shirt away so his nose brushed the other boy's scent gland. He inhaled deeply, hands gripping Jonathan's shirt tightly. Jonathan was tense, not really understanding what was happening, but not wanting to deal with the wrath of an angry Steve Harrington. The omega's soft hair tickled his face, and he wrapped his arms around him, listening to his breathing. It was quite the compromising position, something highly intimate, but Jonathan couldn't bring himself to pull away, not after watching the expression of pain that had graced Steve's features before he had bolted out of gym. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Jonathan noticed an abrupt change in Steve's scent. It became more concentrated, sweeter, and it clouded his senses, making his brain fuzzy. It wasn't until Steve moaned underneath him, poking out his tongue to lap at Jonathan's scent gland, that he snapped out of his daze. He launched himself away from Steve, falling onto his ass only a foot away due to the death grip that Steve had on his shirt, and was met with Steve's eyes shining a bright omega gold. Steve whined, crying out, and Jonathan began to panic. His friend (were Steve and him friends?) was in heat, at school, and he had no idea what to do. 

"Steve, come back to me, please," he begged, but nothing registered with the other boy. He whined away, throwing himself at Jonathan, pushing his lithe body flush against him. He screamed at his inner alpha to calm down when he realized that Steve's pants were soaking with slick already, trying to figure out the best course of action. Didn't omegas monitor this sort of thing? He would never go to school if he knew his rut was close, so why would Steve come here if he was this close to his heat?

"Steve, listen to me, we need to get you out of here, alright?" he said, standing up, and helping the omega stand as well. Steve wasn't really standing, he was heavily leaning against Jonathan, rutting against his leg.  _Jesus Christ_ , Jonathan thought to himself, trying to lead Steve with him to his car. Steve wasn't having it, instead whining even louder, and Jonathan knew if he didn't shut up the whole school was going to be on them within seconds.

"Screw it," he muttered, before scooping Steve up into his arms. Wishing he was a little more in shape, he half walked, half sprinted his way to his car. Buckling Steve into his backseat, he got in and started driving.

Realizing he couldn't remember Steve's address, the panic increased. It was already hard enough to focus on driving with the way that Steve smelled, but the panic was making the whole situation even worse.

"Okay, I'm going to take you to my house. I'll call my mom from there, she's a beta, but she might be able to help, alright?" he explained to Steve, who wasn't even present anymore. He kept whining while in the backseat, leaning forward to tug on Jonathan's jacket, his omega pheromones becoming suffocating.

"Everything's going to be just fine," Jonathan told himself repeatedly, before making his way towards home. 

 


	2. Long Way Down

Carrying Steve, who was a whining mess, into his house, Jonathan had no idea what to do. Steve would literally start screaming if Jonathan left him alone, which meant that the omega was clinging to his leg while he tried calling his mom at work.

"Jonathan, I can't really talk right now- Wait, why aren't you at school?" Joyce sounded worried, probably thinking something bad had happened to Will, forcing him to go home early.

"That's why I'm calling you. Steve Harrington went into heat at school-" Jonathan started, but his mom cut him off.

"So they forced all alphas to go home? You could have just told me that when I got home from work, sweetie." The worry left her voice immediately.

"No, mom, he's with me. At the house." Jonathan pulled the phone away from his ear, ready for the yell that would follow what he just said. 

"What?!" And the worry was back. At the loud noise, Steve whined again, rubbing his face against Jonathan's leg.

Covering the speaker on the phone, he whispered, "could you cut that out?"

"I'm coming home now," Joyce stated, hanging up immediately. Feeling some relief, Jonathan looked down at the omega. Now what? It would take his mom a good 15 minutes to get home, even if she was going over the speed limit. 

The smell of slick was getting really overwhelming, so Jonathan started moving slowly to the bathroom, dragging a clinging Steve along with him. Running the water lukewarm in the tub, he started stripping Steve of his clothes (but he left the guy's underwear on, okay? He wasn't a perv). 

Once Steve was in the tub, Jonathan sat down next to it, giving up his arm for Steve to hold up to. The two stared at each other, basking in the awkward silence. It stayed that way for a few minutes, until a door somewhere slammed open, and Joyce could be heard screaming Jonathan's name.

"We're in the bathroom!" he replied, and heard pounding footsteps approach. When Joyce got to the doorway, he was surprised to see Chief Hopper behind her. He raised an eyebrow in question, and Joyce dismissed it, saying that she got pulled over for speeding. 

"What do I do?" he asked them. 

"Well, his parents are out of town, but I'm having the station try and contact them. Until then, um, just..." Hopper looked at a loss for words, motioning with his hands at Steve but not making any clear point.

"Why is he holding your arm like that?" Joyce asked.

"He screams if I don't touch him," Jonathan replied. This whole time, Steve had continued to stare at him with his golden eyes, unaware of his surroundings. 

"He's not acting like a typical omega in heat," Hopper observed, "usually there's a lot more... Usually, they're not this calm."

"Well, obviously he's in heat, otherwise why would his eyes be gold like that," Joyce countered, raising her hands. 

"Maybe we should call an omega doctor. If there's something wrong, then he needs to be checked out," Hopper offered, and Joyce nodded. The officer left the room, probably going to look for a phone. 

"I'm proud of you, for making sure he was safe," Joyce said to her son, who just nodded in response. 

"Well, I wasn't going to violate him, I'm not a knothead." 

In fact, part of the reason Jonathan had been so desperate to get Steve away from the school was because of Billy Hargrove. If Billy had gotten his hands on Steve, well, Jonathan would have never forgiven himself. No one ever deserved to be violated in any way, no matter what. Steve was also a good guy, he cared about people, and if something had happened to him his spirit would've been seriously broken. 

Something deep inside at Jonathan had also screamed at him to protect the omega, to not leave his side. It was instinctual, to do everything in his power to make sure that Steve was okay. 

Hopper returned, saying something about how the doctor was on his way over, and would just be a few minutes. Joyce and him left to get some coffee, leaving the two teens alone in the bathroom. Steve had gone from sitting in the bathtub to laying down, submerging Jonathan's arm with him. The omega closed his eyes, and he looked peaceful, like he was sleeping. Jonathan felt a little creepy for staring, but with his arm imprisoned it wasn't like he had much of a choice. 

When the two adults returned, they had an older man wearing a lab coat in tow. 

"Hey there, Jonathan, was it? I'm doctor Baker," he said as he knelt down, and Jonathan registered that the man was also an omega. 

"Steve, are you with us?" he asked, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder, and the teen's eyes shot open, still that shining gold color. 

"Would someone mind draining the tub? It's hard to smell him when he's in the water?" Baker asked, and Hopper left the bathroom, while Joyce did as he asked. Steve remained quiet the entire time, and when the smell of slick slowly returned to the room it wasn't as strong as before.

"How did this start?" Baker asked, standing up.

"Billy, this complete jerk of an alpha," Jonathan explained, "was releasing a ton of pheromones on purpose at school, and it was making Steve really sick. He had been doing this all day, and finally in gym Steve looked like he was in pain or something, and he stormed out, so I followed him to make sure he was okay. I, um, he wanted to scent me, because he said that it helped him get rid of Billy's stench or whatever, so I let him, and then this happened."

"Well, he's definitely not in heat," the doctor stated. 

"Then why is he like this?" Joyce beat Jonathan to the question.

"This may come as a bit of a shock, but it seems that Steve has found his true mate. It's why Jonathan can control himself so well around the smell of his slick. If he had gone into an actual heat, he likely would have triggered your rut, and we wouldn't be standing in this bathroom together."

"True mate? That's... that's extremely rare, what does that even mean? How do we fix this?" Jonathan asked, exasperated.

"There's not really a way to "fix" this. It just means that you have to mate each other. People have different reactions to finding their true mate, and it just seems that Steve's omega was strong enough to take over to help... ease, the mating process. He's likely close to his actual heat."

"I can't mate him like this! That's not consensual at all!" Jonathan yelled, and Steve whimpered at the loud noise. 

"Well, if you don't mate him, he'll likely stay like this, for an indefinite amount of time," the doctor explained cautiously, "and you don't have to have sex, you just need to give him a claiming bite."

"What if he doesn't want to be claimed by me?"

"You're his true mate, you're the only person he wants to be claimed by," the doctor answered patiently.

"Thank you, doctor, we'll call you if we need anything else," Joyce finally said, after a long moment of silence. Dr. Baker said his goodbyes, and Jonathan felt shell-shocked.  

"Hopper and I are going to go pick up Will from school, okay? We'll give you the house for a few hours, and you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, just don't leave Steve alone, alright? We'll try and reach his parents again." Joyce pressed a kiss to Jonathan's forehead, before excusing herself. The sound of a door closing and a car pulling out of the driveway were followed by a few minutes of silence, before Jonathan finally spoke to Steve.

"I'm afraid that you'll hate me forever if I do this, you know? Like, mating bites are forever, and we both know that they can't be broken. But, I can't leave you like this at the same time. I don't think it's fair to you either way that you don't get a proper say in what happens to you." 

Steve didn't say anything in response, as expected. Jonathan sighed, helping the omega out of the bathroom, and helping dry him off with a towel. He wrapped a towel around Steve's waist and removed his boxers carefully, not wanting to leave the other teen in soaking wet clothes. Taking his hand, he guided Steve to his bedroom, sitting them both down on the bed. Feeling tears prick at his eyes, Jonathan hated himself. He couldn't make this decision, it was way too life-changing. Throwing himself back so he was laying on the bed, he closed his eyes. He could feel Steve watching him intently, his stare burning into his skin. He felt as the bed shifted a bit, but didn't think much of it. 

What he didn't expect, was to feel a prick where his neck met his shoulder, followed by the most euphoric feeling he had ever felt in his life. His eyes shooting open, he craned his head at an awkward angle to register what was happening. Steve was leaning over him, brown eyes staring into his. There was some blood around his mouth, and Jonathan finally snapped out of his daze. 

"Did you just claim me?" he asked, and Steve sat up.

"Sorry! I don't know what came over me, I-I" Steve replied, panicking.

"It's fine, are you okay?" 

"Am I okay? Are you okay? I just fucking claimed you!" Steve yelled, chest heaving with quick breaths. 

"Hey, calm down, okay? It's fine." Jonathan lowered his voice, sitting up and placing his hands on Steve's shoulders. 

"How is that fine? Why are we in your bedroom? What happened?" Steve had lowered his voice too, but his eyes were still wide with fear.

"We're true mates. You scented me at school, and something happened, so I brought you here, and a doctor looked you over and everything, so it's fine, okay? I don't mind that you claimed me, so don't worry about it." 

"True mates," Steve whispered, looking away from Jonathan, getting lost in thought. 

"Are you going to claim me, too?" Steve said when he came back to the moment, and Jonathan felt his inner alpha preen at the question.

"Do you want me to?" 

"No, I want to leave the mating half-complete. Of course I want you to claim me," Steve sassed, and Jonathan smiled at the omega. Jonathan already knew from this moment on that Steve was probably going to be the one 'wearing the pants' in the relationship. 

"Shit! Sorry for ruining your shirt," Steve apologized, and Jonathan laughed. It was at this point that Steve realized the only thing protecting his dignity was the towel around his waist. Making the omega feel less awkward, Jonathan pulled his shirt off, tossing it into the waste bin in his room. Steve smiled nervously, before laying down on the bed. Jonathan's heart pounded in his chest as he moved above him, running a thumb over the spot he was going to mark.

"Please, just do it already," Steve barked irritably, but Jonathan knew he was just as anxious as he was. Bringing his mouth down, he made the claiming bite, and in response Steve was more than receptive, moaning extremely loudly. The smell of slick filled the room to the point where it was unbearable, and Jonathan felt his jeans becoming uncomfortably tight. 

Pulling away, Steve's eyes were shining gold again, and Jonathan felt as he slowly lost control of his own body, his alpha taking over. Whatever happened next was a blur, because suddenly it was dark outside and he was laying naked in his bed, spooning a very asleep Steve Harrington, who was no longer protected by a towel.

Shit. 

 


	3. This Wild Life

When Steve finally woke up, Jonathan had gone and taken a shower, and then went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Steve wasn't an idiot, he knew what had just happened, and he went and showered himself before stealing some of Jonathan's clothes to change into. When Steve walked into the kitchen and found Jonathan sitting at the table, on his third sandwich, the two stared at each other in awkward silence for a few moments. 

Before either could utter a word, the front door had opened, and they were greeted by the sound of footsteps and voices. Jonathan stood up abruptly from his chair, crossing the short distance between his new mate and himself, and pulled Steve into a hug. It was unexpected, but Steve melted into it nonetheless. 

"Jesus, it reeks in here," Will complained loudly as he entered the kitchen, followed by Joyce.

"Will, have some manners," Joyce chastised. Jonathan still hadn't let go of Steve, and taking in how firm the grip he had on the omega was, it didn't seem like he was planning on letting go anytime soon.

"Hey, Mrs. Byers," Steve muttered. He was slightly taller than his alpha, who had buried his nose in Steve's scent gland, which was causing his inner omega to freak out. He was feeling giddy and nervous, and under Joyce's intense gaze he wanted to squirm where he was standing. 

"Jonathan, I'm glad to see you back to... your normal self," Joyce smiled, and he tried to duck out of Jonathan's grip. Will, on the other hand, wasn't fully debriefed on the situation in front of him. 

"Jon, do you mind?" Steve said lowly, and Jonathan  _growled_.

"Is he okay?" Will asked, stepping closer, and Jonathan finally pulled away, physically shaking. His head was ducked, but Steve already knew that the alpha's eyes were bright red. Well, that escalated quickly. 

"Will, step away from your brother," Joyce grabbed her youngest son, pulling him back and moving to stand in front of him. 

Steve's nerves picked up, and Jonathan's shaking got worse. At this moment, when literally nothing could get worse, Hopper let himself into the house. Just kidding, things apparently can still get worse. 

The other alpha's presence in the house caused Jonathan's head to snap up, and Steve decided that if there would be a time for rash decisions, now would be that time. If he didn't do something now, there was going to be a full-on alpha brawl. Dropping to his knees, he tilted his head to one side, exposing the side of his neck that was pulsing from the mating bite.

 _"Alpha,"_ he moaned, knowing he would never be able to look Joyce or Will or anyone in the eyes ever again, and Jonathan's attention snapped back to him. And just like a flick of a switch, something registered in Jonathan's eyes, and they ebbed back to their brown color. 

"Jesus, what did I just walk into?" Hopper announced himself, and Steve quickly got up from the floor, his face burning with embarrassment. 

"What happened?" Jonathan questioned, directing the question at Steve more than anyone else. 

"Your alpha needs to chill, that's what happened," Will commented, laughing a bit as he said it, "Is it true you two are mated now?"

"Yeah," Jonathan replied, moving closer to where Steve was standing but not actually touching him. 

"Wait till everyone at school hears about this," Will smiled widely, excusing himself from the room. 

Steve ran a hand through his hair, eyes glued to the floor. He leaned into Jonathan, feeling overly emotional. They both must be sensitive from the mating, because that was the only explanation that Steve could come up with.

"We got a hold of your parents, Steve. They're coming back into town as soon as they can, they said," Hopper explained, "They wanted me to let you know that they're happy that you found your true mate." 

"Yeah, that's great." Steve was feeling like he was going to cry all of the sudden, like he was too overwhelmed to process literally any information. Jesus, these past few minutes have been such a roller coaster. He was probably just overly tired.

"I'm going to make spaghetti for dinner, if you're hungry," Joyce smiled, and Steve just nodded. He was fine, everything was fine.

-

Everything was not fine. 

The past few days had been absolute bliss. Steve and Jonathan had been excused from school for the rest of the week, and they had spent it in each other's company, at Jonathan's house. They had spent most of that free time cuddling and talking, just getting to know each other better. The anxiety in Steve's chest had lessened with each day, and Jonathan hadn't had another weird freak-out, or whatever you want to call it. They went on walks through the woods, and danced to cheesy music, and it had been bliss to ignore reality for a moment. 

But come Monday, and they were back at school, and Steve was panicking. Jonathan had his schedule adjusted by administration so they had all the same classes, so they weren't even separated from each other, but Steve was still managing to panic. 

No one even knew. People had noticed that both had vanished from school for a few days, but no one assumed anything strange about it or made the connection that their disappearances were connected. People missed a few days of school all the time, especially alphas and omegas. But still, Steve felt on edge, like everyone could see his mating bite despite it being covered well by his shirt and jean jacket. 

In homeroom, Nancy walked over to them cheerfully, but with that knowing look in her eyes. Steve had told Will that he would kill him if he told his friends, because he knew that if Will told Mike, Nancy would immediately find out. 

"So, are you two dating now?" she asked the second they were sat down, and Steve felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Sure, Nancy," Jonathan answered, all nonchalant. 

"How was it?" She turned to Steve specifically, raising an eyebrow. 

"How was what?" Steve snapped.

"You know, spending your heat with an alpha." She had kept her voice low, not drawing the attention of any of the other students. 

If Steve had been drinking water or eating any food, he would have begun to choke. Which probably wouldn't have been the worst thing, because he wanted to die then and there.

"How did you-" Jonathan started, and she smiled mischievously.

"Because, I know Steve's heat schedule, and you guys disappeared  _at the exact same time_. I'm not dumb, seriously guys."

"We're not having this conversation here," Steve stated, turning his body away and focusing on completing one of the homework assignments that he had missed. His ears and cheeks were burning, but thankfully his friend knew what was best for her and dropped the subject. Of course, once they were somewhere more private, he knew without a doubt that she would bring it up immediately. 

But that's what friends are for. 


	4. Meeting the Parents

Steve's parents, when they said that they would "get home as quick as they can," meant that it took them a whole week before they were finally back in town. It wasn't that they didn't care, because they did, but sometimes it felt like they prioritized their own work over their own son every now and then. 

And Steve usually didn't mind. He was used to having the house to himself, even if his inner omega craved attention and despised loneliness. But now that he had Jonathan, he was never alone, so he didn't really notice his parents' absence as much as he normally would. If anything, he found it a bit strange how Joyce was always home on time every night for family dinner time. He couldn't remember the last time he had ate a meal with his parents. Last Christmas, maybe? Or was he thinking about Thanksgiving?

When his parents finally did arrive to Hawkins, it was at literally the worst time. It was a Saturday, and he was over at the Byers' house. And, because he was a normal teenager, he was making out with Jonathan on his bed. 

Unannounced, the door had swung open, slamming loudly into the wall. Jonathan had leapt off the bed, falling onto his ass on the floor. Steve's mother, in all her glory, strolled into the room, glancing around. She was probably silently judging every little thing, but politely holding her tongue. The second she was behind closed doors, she'd tell his father exactly what she thought. It was her thing. 

She looked out of place, with her fancy dress clothes and big hair. Steve's dad was just the same, wearing an expensive suit that clashed with his surroundings. Joyce, who stood a few feet behind them, waved awkwardly at Steve, silently apologizing for the interruption. Joyce shouldn't even feel like she has to apologize, she's always had the decency to knock, and she can't stop the Harringtons from dramatically making an entrance like they always do. 

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington," Jonathan stood, offering his hand, "I'm Jonathan Byers." 

Steve's mother enthusiastically pulled Jonathan into a hug, and Steve sat up. After she pulled away, she practically tackled Steve, going on about 'her baby growing up.' Steve's father was much more controlled, calmly shaking Jonathan's hand. 

"I invited them to stay for dinner, if you don't mind," Joyce mentioned from where she still stood in the doorway. She was wringing her hands nervously, and Steve offered to help her in the kitchen.

"Nonsense, catch up with your parents, Will can help me." And with that, Joyce dismissed herself. 

"How've you been, Steve? We only got a few details about what happened from Sheriff Hopper, but tell us, how did you meet your true mate?" his mother asked, sitting down next to him on the bed. His dad stayed standing, eyeing Jonathan out of the corner of his eye, who looked like he was ready to have a panic attack.

"We were at school, and um, Jon saved me from another alpha that was terrorizing me. I ended up scenting him, and that's how we found out we were true mates." 

"Oh, how lovely. That's wonderful, Jonathan, thank you so much for looking out for my son." She got up, and pulled him into another hug. 

-

Dinner was quiet, for the most part. They ate spaghetti, because all Joyce had in the cupboards was dried pasta. Steve's parents thankfully didn't say anything, but if they had, Steve would've quickly defended her. After all, it was him that kept asking her to make pasta most nights. Sue him, it was his favorite meal.

The conversation remained fairly bland, talking about things like the weather and how classes were going at school. Even Will was quiet, silently eating while his eyes darted between everyone sat at the small table. It was a weird sight, to say the least. But, there have been stranger things.

"You know, if you ever hurt my son-" Steve's dad had started, but Steve quickly cut him off.

"Dad, he's not even capable of hurting me. Don't you know how true mates work?" he snapped, glaring at the older man.

"I would die before I hurt Steve," Jonathan spoke quietly, and Steve's mother beamed at him. 

No one really talked after that, and Mr. and Mrs. Harrington left quickly once dinner was over, saying their goodbyes. 

"And Steve, Jonathan and you are welcome to stay at our house, you know. We're leaving again early tomorrow morning for another business trip."

Of course they were. Steve thanked them, grateful once they left. He couldn't say it to their faces that he enjoyed being around the entire Byers family, because he felt like his mom might take it as an insult. 

Once Jonathan and him were back in their shared bedroom, cuddled together on the bed, there was a soft knock on the door. 

"Come in," Jonathan replied, and they were both a little surprised to see it was Will that entered.

"Don't laugh," the young teen started, "but could I sleep with you guys? Not because I'm a baby, but because of the nightmares..."

"Of course," Steve agreed, scooting over so there was a Will-sized gap between him and Jonathan. He had become quite familiar with Will's nightmares, and felt bad for the kid. As Will made himself comfortable, Jonathan gave Steve a loving look, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"No mushy stuff when I'm right here, please," Will complained from in between them, and they both laughed in response.

And soon enough, all three were fast-asleep. It was a peaceful night for Will, his head full of pleasant dreams. Jonathan slept like a rock, snoring softly. Steve, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. Slipping his arm out from where it was under Will, he slipped out from under the covers. Carefully climbing over both of them, he snuck out of the bedroom. 

The entire house was dark, with even Joyce having gone to bed. It was the first time in over a week that he had been truly alone, and he basked in the comforting silence. Slipping on a jacket and a pair of shoes, he walked out the front door, deciding to go on a walk to calm his mind. 

He hadn't been gone for very long, maybe twenty minutes, when a pair of headlights appeared in the distance on the road. Steve had been walking in the ditch, so he hadn't expected the car to really take much notice of him. But, the car slowed, a window rolling down.

"If it isn't my favorite omega!" A familiar voice shouted, and Steve's blood ran cold. He didn't even need to turn his head to know that it was Billy Hargrove in the car. 


	5. When You Can't Sleep at Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a friendly reminder that only Steve and Jonathan's family members know that they're mated, no one else
> 
> also, Steve is pregnant, if you didn't catch on to that (which is fine, cause he doesn't know yet either)
> 
> ALSO, trigger warning for this chapter (there are warnings on this fic for a reason)

"What do you want, Billy?" Steve snapped, stepping a few feet away from where the car was now pulled over on the side of the road.

"Just wondering what a pretty thing like you is doing all alone out here, at night of all times," Billy replied, stepping out of the car. 

"Mind your own fucking business."

"Oh, an attitude. You know, I really don't like omegas with an attitude." Billy walked around the front of the car, illuminated by the headlights. Steve continued to take a step back with each step that Billy took towards him. 

"Yeah, well, omegas don't like condescending fucks for alphas."

The two had stopped walking, and were staring at each other in the dark from a few feet apart. They were still fairly close to the road, the headlights on Billy's car acting as a beacon. They were in a field of long grass, and pretty far from any civilization. Steve's heart was pounding so hard in his chest that it physically hurt, and he felt as the adrenaline started to flow through his veins. 

"Maybe you should put that big mouth of yours to good use." Billy smiled, but it was twisted, and Steve could smell the fucking pheromones coming off that asshole. But the second that the alpha's eyes flashed red, glowing through the dark, Steve turned and ran. He ran because his life depended on it. 

Billy laughed, in his own sinister way, before breaking off after him. It was hard to move through the thick grass, because it snagged on everything, and Steve felt as thick tears began to form in his eyes, blurring his vision slightly. 

"Stop running and just give in, Harrington!" Billy called after him, sounding less amused and more furious. Steve refused to look back, because it would only slow him down, and he wished that he had just stayed at the Byers' house when he couldn't sleep. 

Not seeing what could've been a rock or a log, Steve's foot caught on something hard, and he barely had time to bring up his hands to catch him as he fell. Laying on his stomach, he felt hands pin down his shoulders, and he started screaming. 

"Scream all you want, no one's going to hear you," Billy spoke with his mouth close to Steve's ear, his foul breath hitting Steve's face. 

As Billy's hand reached down to Steve's pants, moving to undo them, the omega's vision went black. 

-

"Jonathan, wake up." Will shook his older brother, getting a grunt in response. 

"Jonathan!" 

The teen jumped, sitting up, wide awake. It was still early in the morning, with just a little light leaking in through the window.

"Where's Steve?" was the first thing Jonathan asked.

"That's why I woke you up. Mom said he's not anywhere in the house."

"He probably just went for a morning run," Jonathan replied, brushing off the bit of anxiety that was prodding him from the back of his mind. 

-

A few hours later, with Steve still missing, they ended up calling Chief Hopper.

"How long has he been gone?"

"We don't know, he wasn't here when we woke up, and that was almost three hours ago. We thought he just went for a run, because his shoes are missing, but he would've left a note if he was going to be out for a long time," Jonathan rambled, running a hand through his hair. 

"Have you checked his parents house?"

"Yes."

"Have you called his friends?"

"Yes."

"Have you-"

"WE'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE!" Jonathan screamed, and Hopper took a step back. 

"Alright, well, I'll call dispatch to put out an APB, alright? We'll find him," Hopper reassured him. 

-

Jonathan was panicking. He felt uneasy, he had already thrown up twice now, and nothing anyone could do could calm him down. At this point, the entire town knew everything. That Steve and Jonathan were true mates and mated, and that Steve was now missing. Nancy had come over as soon as she had heard, angry that her friends hadn't told her, but the second she had seen the state Jonathan was in that anger had dissipated. 

"Jonathan, honey, maybe you should try eating something," Joyce suggested as he sat on the porch, facing the driveway. 

"No," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. He had stopped crying, but the tear tracks were still clear on his face. 

-

It wasn't until around 3pm when Hopper pulled up in the driveway, yelling at Jonathan to get in the car.

"We found him, but we can't get near him," he had explained in a hurry as he sped down the road. 

"What do you mean you can't get near him?" Joyce yelled in disbelief.

"He won't let us get near him, we think he's badly hurt. You'll understand when you see him." Hopper pulled the car over to the side of the road, where a few other cop cars and a Camaro were parked. 

Jonathan leapt out of the car before it was even properly parked, rushing through a field of grass to where a group of law enforcement officers were standing. 

Steve was almost unrecognizable at first, curled up into a ball and visibly shaking. Jonathan skidded to a halt when he was a few feet away from him, crouching down. The police officers around him backed off a bit, but still close enough to observe the situation. 

Steve was drenched in blood. It soaked his pants and covered his torso, his hands just as crimson, from what Jonathan could see. His long hair was tousled and his clothes a bit torn, and it sounded like he was whimpering.

"Steve?" Jonathan asked lowly, and the omega's eyes snapped open, bright yellow. 

"What happened to you?" He crept closer to his mate, moving slowly, until he was tackled by a crying Steve Harrington.

He felt a bit of déjà vu, but held Steve close nonetheless, rubbing circles into his back and repeating over and over that he was okay now, that he was safe now.

Eventually, the shaking stopped, and Steve's grip on Jonathan's shirt loosened enough for him to pull apart enough to look at his omega's eyes, finally back to a warm brown.

"What happened?" he repeated, and Steve shut his eyes tightly, and it almost looked like he was grimacing in pain.

"Billy, he came after me," he replied, voice shaking with each syllable.

"We need to get him to a hospital," one of the officers spoke up, and Steve shook his head.

"I'm not hurt."

"Steve, you're bleeding-" the officer interjected, and he shook his head faster.

"It's not my blood, I fought back." 

Everyone stared at him for a moment, almost in disbelief, before everyone began to pelt the teen with questions all at once.

They were disrupted by a groaning noise, and that was how they found Billy Hargrove, a couple yards away. He looked like a wild animal had attacked him, with scratch marks all the way from his face to his torso, his clothes torn even more than Steve's. 

"Well, shit," was all Hopper said, before Steve proceeded to pass out in Jonathan's arms. 

 


	6. Say Something

Steve wasn't lying when he said it wasn't his blood. He was a little scraped up, but it was nothing in comparison to the extensive damage that had been done to Billy Hargrove. He was going to have noticeable scarring all over his body according to one of the nurses at the hospital, what had happened in the field would be something he'd never be able to escape. 

Billy's dad had stormed into the ER, demanding that someone explain to him what was going on. When people did tell him that it was Steve, an omega, that had been the source of his son's injuries, he hadn't believed anyone.

"Wait, you're actually serious? A little omega did that?" 

The doctors talking with him had paused a moment before nodding, and Neil Hargrove had laughed bitterly before turning and storming out of the building. 

Word got around town about the incident in an instant, and Billy had easily become the most hated person in Hawkins. 

And now, Steve was back home, at the Byers' house, curled up in bed with Jonathan drinking hot cocoa. Jonathan was sat up, leaning against the headboard, and Steve leaned against his chest as the alpha ran his fingers slowly through Steve's hair. Steve was half asleep, the exhaustion deep in his bones peeking out and pulling him under. Jonathan had taken the empty mug from his hands and set it on the nightstand, feeling as Steve's body relaxed and his breathing slowly evened out.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Will asked quietly, stood in the doorway. His friends were all gathered behind him, craning their necks to gaze at the couple with curiosity.

"Yeah, they're going to be fine," Jonathan mumbled, closing his eyes and slipping into a deep sleep himself.

-

"What did he mean by 'they?'" Dustin asked, the group of middle schoolers gathered around in Will's room.

"At the hospital, the doctor said he thought Steve might be pregnant," Will whispered, everyone's eyes growing wide, "but we won't know for sure until the results from the blood test come back."

"Why would he think that?" Lucas questioned incredulously.

"Because Steve came really close to killing Billy," Maxine replied, from where she was sitting from outside of the circle of friends. The thing with Billy had caused another rift in the group, but Lucas had pointed out that Billy's actions didn't reflect on Maxine.

"Omegas aren't that violent unless it's absolutely necessary," Mike continued, remembering something Nancy had told him awhile back when she was explaining secondary genders to him. 

"What did Jonathan think about that?" Dustin turned to Will, who shrugged. 

"Both Steve and him looked pretty shocked. They probably will talk about it and stuff, but he seems happy." And with that, they moved on to a different topic, with not much more to be talked to about the subject.

-

"Steve, are you sure you're ready?" 

"Jon, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I've missed enough school as is, I'm not going to let this hold me back."

"You could've died-"

"Would you cut that out? I'm not some fragile little omega, Billy's the one that almost died. I know you're freaking out because the... baby," Steve whispered the last word, "but pregnancy lasts nine months, which means I can finish my senior year. I'm not going to just drop out of school and sit at home and do nothing."

"Sorry, sorry, I know you're not weak or anything, I just feel like..."

"Hey, look at me." Steve grabbed Jonathan's face, lifting his head so that they were eye-to-eye, "I love you so much." 

Jonathan smiled widely, the worry melting off his face. "I love you, too." 

"Are you guys going to stop being gross so you can drive me to school?" Will complained, shoving between the two of them so that he could walk out the front door. The smiles on the teens faces didn't falter, they just laughed, following after the younger boy, Jonathan ruffling his brother's hair.

-

"Everyone's staring at us," Jonathan said lowly to Steve as they walked through the hall, who seemed unfazed. Steve, in fact, didn't verbally reply, just laughed and continued to drag his mate after him by the hand. They didn't stop until they reached Steve's locker, where the omega in question finally released his hand to open it and get his books.

Nancy appeared at this moment, giving Jonathan a pointed look.

"I'm still kinda mad that you too didn't tell me you were mated. I found out through my younger brother, do you know how embarrassing that is? Mike knew more about my best friends than I did," she complained, but it was light-heartedly.

"Wait till you find out he's pregnant," Jonathan grumbled lowly, and Nancy gave him a scandalized look.

"Very funny, Jonathan." But there was a pause as Steve turned to look at her, giving a sheepish look, and Nancy practically squealed, the noise earning them more looks from passerby in the hall.

"Shush, it's a secret," the omega said, and Nancy clamped her own hand over her mouth.

"And, Mike also knew this before you did," Jonathan teased, and Nancy slapped his arm, earning a laugh from the couple. 

"I'm going to have to start telling my secrets to Will before I tell you two losers."

"You do that, Nance. Now, we're going to be late to homeroom, so let's please get moving," Steve spoke, closing his locker. 

 


	7. First Date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one person commented asking for me to build a bit on their relationship (dates, etc.) and those comments really help me when I'm stuck, so do let me know if there is an aspect of the story that you'd like me to develop and I may just incorporate it

"Steve Harrington, will you go out with me?" Jonathan asked one Saturday morning, as the couple was just starting to wake up.

"I'm pregnant with your baby, asshole," Steve grumbled, burying his face in his pillow and pulling the sheets over his head. It was a weekend, for Pete's sake, let him sleep in a bit. 

"Wow, I'm trying to be all romantic here-" Jonathan feigned hurt, but finding his omega's sleepiness adorable. It was hard to be mad at Steve when all you could see was his rumpled hair peeking out from under layers of blankets. It was just too cute.

"Five. More. Minutes. Let me sleep, and we can have a fucking wedding today. Cool?" Steve snapped, but it was still light-hearted in nature. Jonathan chuckled, carefully crawling out of bed so that he could start breakfast, greeted by the sound of Steve's soft snoring by the time he reached his bedroom door.

-

When Steve finally woke up, it was as Jonathan was bringing him a plate of bacon and eggs to eat in bed.

"Be still my beating heart," the omega exclaimed, eyes focused on the food and nothing else. It elicited a laugh out of Jonathan, because he knew where his boyfriend's priorities truly lied. If he came down to it, Steve would ditch him in a second if food was involved.

"I was thinking, um," Jonathan started as Steve inhaled his breakfast, "that we could go out today? On a date?"

"Sure," Steve replied through a mouthful of food. 

-

"Where are we going?" Steve asked. 

"On a walk through the park. You said that you weren't interested in any of the movies playing, so..." Jonathan was nervous, and he kept rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Just on a walk?" 

"Yeah, I hope that's okay. I haven't ever... I've never been on a real date before," the alpha admitted.

"Are you serious? You were mated before you'd ever even gone on a proper date?" Steve seemed truly shocked. 

"Not everyone can be a walking god with perfect hair," Jonathan scoffed, keeping his eyes on the ground in shame. It was kind of embarrassing, honestly. Steve had been on plenty of dates, slept with plenty of people, and he was standing there with no experience to bring to the table.

"Hey, don't feel too bad. Just because I'm popular doesn't mean I've had alphas throwing themselves at me left and right. I've only gone on a few first dates, and they never progressed into anything more than that," Steve said sheepishly. 

"Nothing more?" 

"God, no. I was a virgin until, well, until you got my ass pregnant."

"Shit."

"Yeah," Steve laughed. 

They walked in silent for a bit, and at some point, Jonathan had awkwardly grabbed Steve's hand. Steve had adjusted the hold, giving his alpha a reassuring smile, and they fell into step with each other. They eventually stopped at a bench, sitting down, with Steve leaning into him.

"I don't even know your favorite color, I don't think." The omega broke the silence. 

"It's blue. Fun fact, the most popular favorite color worldwide is blue."

"You're such a nerd," Steve laughed, planting a kiss on his boyfriend's cheek.

"Don't deny that it was a fun fact," Jonathan countered.

"Very."

"How about you, what's your favorite color?"

"It's a hard choice between orange and red," Steve replied.

"You seem like a red person, very passionate."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should. You always put your 100% into everything, and I really admire that about you. You're just this, super confident person, and I feel like I've always looked up to that part of you. If I could be anything like you, I'd want to have even a fraction of that confidence," Jonathan rambled.

"I'm not the most confident, if I'm going to be honest. I have a ton of insecurities... I think it kinda started when my parents were also too occupied with work to pay much mind to me. Like yeah, I had friends at school that I could hang out with, but I didn't feel like we ever really connected when we hung out outside of school. I was really glad when I ditched Tommy and Carol, because I never felt like I could ever tell them about the things in life that I was scared about," Steve said.

"What are you scared of?"

"Being alone. When people hang out and don't invite me, or just, being alone in general. Going home to an empty house is one of the worst feelings in the world, because it feels like something would happen to me and no one would notice. With what happened with Billy... Had I been living at my old house instead of with your family, no one would even notice I was missing. After living with you guys for weeks, always having people to eat dinner with... I never want to go back. I'm afraid of losing you, because this is one of the best feelings I've ever felt, having you by my side."

"Wow... I-I almost don't know what to say. But, I'm definitely afraid of losing you too. When we couldn't find you right away that day, I couldn't eat, I could barely function. It wasn't just my alpha nature, it was me not knowing what to do. I need you. It stems from my fear of losing my family, especially since Will went missing for so long, but you're my family now. I love you," Jonathan revealed.

"I love you, too."


	8. All Because of You

Jonathan woke up the next day to the sound of Steve retching into the toilet. He rushed out of bed, nearly tripping on his sheets as he did so, to be by his omega's side.

"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, approaching Steve slowly. 

"No! You did this to me, you asshole!" he cried, before going to puke out the contents of his stomach once more. 

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Jonathan asked, moving to sit on the floor next to him and rub calming circles on Steve's back.

"Just don't leave me." Steve's voice was barely a whisper, and he leaned back into Jonathan's chest. 

"I would never leave you."

"Even when I'm all gross and disgusting like this?"

"Especially when you're gross and disgusting. I love you."

Steve turned, wiping his mouth on his arm. "I love you, too."

-

"How do you feel about being pregnant?" Jonathan asked as Steve sat next to him on their bed, completing his math homework. Steve stopped, setting his pencil down and turning to look at him. 

"I think I'm just mostly scared that I'll be a bad parent. Some weird stuff is going on in Hawkins right now, and I just want more than anything to protect them from whatever is happening. I want more than anything to not mess this up," the omega admitted.

"It's because you're so caring and kind and thoughtful that you won't mess this up. You're going to be a great parent, Steve. And no one is expecting you to get it perfect straight of the bat," Jonathan reassured him.

Steve sighed. "Here's the thing, you say that, but there are literally dozens of people in this town that expect omegas to be perfect parents naturally. I know society has made progress in terms of how they think about secondary genders, but their expectations are still the same even if they don't realize it. I feel like I won't have time to learn because I'll be so caught up in how others think of me. I care way too much about that, and it's eating me up. I don't know how you do it."

"What?" Jonathan laughed. "Be judged by others? Over time I guess I've just gotten so used to it that I barely even notice that it's happening. Sure, it hurts that people think I'm a bit of a freak, but so what? Like they're any better."

There was a pause of silence between them, before Jonathan spoke up again. "A few weeks ago, I would've never thought a relationship between two people like us would ever happen. Do you ever... regret this?"

"I can't regret meeting my true mate, Jon. You're literally my destiny."

"But what if we weren't? You would never go for someone like me otherwise."

"It's not fair of you to make an assumption like that!" Steve stood up from the bed. "You barely knew me before, so how could you have known anything about me?"

"Well, it wasn't hard to guess. You had the perfect life, everyone loves you and you don't even have to try-"

"Don't. You. Dare." Steve suddenly had tears in his eyes, and he backed away from Jonathan. "My life was anything but perfect. My parents were never around then, and they're definitely not around now. Do you know what that's like? School was the only thing I had that made me feel normal. It was my only time to seek any sort of relationship with another person! I would go home to empty rooms and scrap together a meal for myself that I'd eat alone! You think everyone loves me!? 'Cause I sure as hell didn't feel loved by my own family! I was a virgin, Jonathan! I felt like I wasn't omega enough for anyone! Haven't you noticed that my so-called friends haven't come to visit me since I've moved in with you? Nancy aside, haven't you noticed how much I've envied your life? I would kill to have grown up with someone like Joyce in my life, a little brother like Will... Ever since mating with you, it's the first time in my life when I haven't felt alone."

Tears were streaming down Steve's face relentlessly, and Jonathan felt like a monster for picking a fight with him in the first place, for making him dig up all the repressed emotions. 

"You said I would never go for someone like you. You're exactly the kind of person I would go for, Jon. You're the kind of person that I didn't know I needed in my life until now."

"I'm sorry, for what I said. It was insensitive."

"Damn right," Steve sobbed, plopping down on the bed next to him so Jonathan could wrap his arms around him.

"I heard yelling, is everything alright?" Will had appeared at the door, glancing nervously at the couple.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Jonathan gave him a weak smile, which his younger brother returned. "Could you close the door? We need a moment."

"I never want to get angry at you again," Steve admitted, "That was literally the worst thing ever."

"I've never seen you so angry before. That was probably the scariest thing I've ever encountered."

"Even scarier than an angry Joyce?" the omega giggled.

"Ten times more terrifying. In a fight, you'd definitely win."

"I'll be sure to tell her you said that," Steve teased.

"Oh, don't you dare! She'll kill me!" Jonathan turned, "You need to be punished for even thinking of doing such a thing! Tickle monster!" 

"AH!" Steve screeched, making a move to try and run away, and ended up pinned underneath Jonathan. 

"Will! Save me!" the omega yelled out, but Will peeked his head through the door and shook his head.

"Better you than me," the younger boy laughed, running away. 

 

 

 


End file.
